Taxing

He looked up from his desk where he was working on a search warrant. That man from Internal Affairs that he hated was walking into his office. He sighed and tried to keep a straight face as he looked back down at the paperwork in front of him.

"Horatio," the man said, "We need to talk."

"I'm busy, Rick," he muttered as he continued trying to describe exactly where he thought he would find the murder weapon in the three thousand square foot house.

"This can't wait, Horatio," the man insisted.

"No, whatever it is, it can wait. I have a little girl who's now an orphan and her parents' killer is going to walk if I don't get this search warrant to Judge Iddings in the next ten minutes."

"Horatio, I noticed you changed your tax form," the man continued on, as if he had never spoken. "You now have three dependents listed on your W2. Why is this? Did you happen to find out about another one night stand baby?"

His head shot up and he glared angrily at the man. "How dare you insult my son like that," he sneered. "Yes, he was an accident, but I'm glad he was. I love him more than words can express."

"Then who's the new dependent?" the Internal Affairs man asked.

"I don't see why it's any business to you," the redhead muttered as he tried to remember the third place he had thought of, but, alas, it had escaped him.

"Well if it's not a child, then maybe it's a spouse," he continued to harass him.

"Maybe it is. What business is it to you?" the redhead nearly spat at him.

"I'm the head of Internal Affairs, all business is my business."

"Is that what you said to Calleigh when she was thinking of adopting a little boy?"

"Well, no, that's her personal business."

"Then what business to you is my personal life?"

"Because not everyone lies on their tax forms," the Internal Affairs man retorted.

"I've never lied on my tax forms," the redhead defended himself.

"Then who is this new dependent?"

"I still don't see what it matters to you," he responded. The garden shed; that was the third place in the house. He began scribbling down the information as fast as he could; trying to be specific about where the garden shed was located in relation to the house.

"That's a lovely ring," the Internal Affairs man commented. "When did you buy that?"

The redhead glanced at the ring on his left hand. He hadn't realized he was still wearing it.

"I didn't purchase it," he mumbled as he stood from his desk and walked over to his fax machine. He filled out the cover page and began jabbing the buttons to make it go.

"Then who did? Your new wife?"

"I'm not married," he responded, wishing the man would fall victim to a sudden heart attack.

"Then why is it on your left hand?"

"Because I didn't like it on my right," he retorted.

"That's a rather sacred symbol you're defying, Horatio."

"I'm not defying anything." His phone rang and he answered it, ignoring the man still in the room. "I solemnly swear I will uphold the integrity of the Miami Dade County Police Department when conducting this search and seizure. I will abide by all laws and regulations set forth by the local, county, state, and federal government in a fair and impartial manner. I swear I will only look in the areas specified by the search warrant and the honorable Judge that has signed and endorsed it."

The man on the other end couldn't help but chuckle. "You really do know your stuff, don't you, Caine?" the Judge said with a laugh as the sounds of a fax being sent went off in the background. "There's your warrant, have fun with it."

"Thank you, Judge Iddings," the redhead said just before he hung up. He snatched the papers as they printed and began his walk towards the Hummer lot.

"We're not done here, Horatio," the Internal Affairs man continued as he followed him.

"I do believe we are, Rick," the redhead said as he jabbed the elevator button. The doors opened to reveal a tall, silver haired man standing inside the cart. "Oh good, Special Agent Gibbs, I was about to call you to inform you that Judge Iddings signed off on our warrant."

"Good, good," the silver haired man smiled, "I was beginning to worry we weren't going to catch the killer before he got his next Marine victim."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," the redhead said, "But someone couldn't seem to wait to discuss the new W2 I submitted to Internal Affairs." He glared at the man still standing in the hall as the doors to the elevator cart closed.

"New W2?" the silver haired man repeated questionably.

"Yes, I've decided to add another dependant," the redhead explained.

"Who?" the Special Agent inquired.

The redheaded Lieutenant slipped in his into the other man's and squeezed it gently.

"Oh just a little someone I met a few years ago that stole my heart," he whispered.